KALAMAZOO – Signs of spring are everywhere. Here is another one.

Hop rhizomes are due to arrive at the Bell's General Store by Friday (March 23) today (March 21). All are grown here in Michigan (South Haven) and are just $4.50 each.

Here is what will be available with information about each from the grower.

Canadian Redvine

ALPHA ACIDS: ~5% (southwest Michigan average)
BETA ACIDS: ~5% (southwest Michigan average)
Grower notes: Vigorous grower with good yields, late harvesting - small cones. Mild bittering agent, great for dry or late hopping.

Cascade

ALPHA ACIDS: 4-7% (USDA average)
BETA ACIDS: 4-6% (USDA average)
Grower notes: Vigorous grower with high yields, late harvesting - large cones. Nice aroma variety for bittering and dry hopping.

Centennial

ALPHA ACIDS: 9-12% (USDA average)
BETA ACIDS: 4-5% (USDA average)
Grower notes: Moderate growth and yield. Early harvesting, first hop picked - nice cones. Great bittering agent and excellent for dry hopping.

Chinook

ALPHA ACIDS: 13 – 15% (USDA average)
BETA ACIDS: 3-5% (USDA average)
Grower notes: Vigorous grower and excellent yields, mid harvesting and huge cone flowers. Great bittering agent with a pleasant aroma.

Columbus

ALPHA ACIDS: 9-16% (USDA average)
BETA ACIDS: 4-5 % (USDA average)
Grower notes: Average growth and yield, nice aroma similar to Centennial.

Nugget

ALPHA ACIDS: 9-15% (USDA average)
BETA ACIDS: 2-6% (USDA average)
Grower notes: Good growth and high yields. Late harvesting, last hop picked – large cones. Excellent bittering agent/great for dry hopping.

Willamette

ALPHA ACIDS: 5-10% (USDA average)
BETA ACIDS: 3-5% (USDA average)
Grower notes: Moderate growth and yield. Mid season harvest, nice cones. Pleasant aroma variety, excellent for dry or late hopping

Here is a look at events this week in Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota.

Michigan

March 22

March Madness at Harvey's on the Mall
There will be plenty of Bell's beer on draft and in bottles for this March Madness event upstairs in Harvey's new Upper Deck Sports Lounge. There will be giveaways and games. Michigan State University will take on Louisville at 7:47 p.m. and Cincinnati will play Ohio at 9:45 p.m. Call 269-492-7506 for more information.

Ohio

March 23

Bell's night - Lizardville, Bedford Heights
Celebrate happy hour at Lizardville in Bedford Heights at 5 p.m. with Amber Ale, Cherry Stout and Lager of the Lakes. Call 216-364-2337 for more information.

March 24

Winking Lizard Cask Ale Festival
A cask of Hopslam will be available at the Winking Lizard Party Center in Bedford Heights. For more information, go here.

Minnesota

March 24

Firkin Fest 2012
Look for a cask of Hopslam Ale at The Happy Gnome in St. Paul at 1 p.m. Call 651-287-2018 for more information.

Looking ahead

Oberon will be released March 26. Check our calendar to see where you will be able to get that first taste.

For those of you who have been following along with our experimental hop series at the Eccentric Café, one additional beer, EXP Hop 2012-1, has been recently tapped (EXP Hop 2012-2 will be available soon). This brings the total number of beers released so far to four.

Some interesting things have developed since our first post on this series of seven different beers, each brewed with a different hop varietal coming straight from growers’ trial plots. These hops are limited both in quantity and availability and only one has been formally named. The rest are designated with numbers.

While there weren't a lot of surprises with the second and third beers (EXP Hop 2011-2, Type 366 and EXP Hop 2011-3, Type 509), the two most recent batches actually turned out quite different than what the initial aroma test led us to expect.

Rather than being a flaw, we prefer to look at these new developments as just another part of the experimental nature of this series.

The goal after all is to become familiar with these new ingredients and learn more about how they perform in the real world.

Below are the initial assessments followed by the actual descriptions for comparison.

EXP Hop 2012-1: Type 423

(photo at right)

Initial: Very pungent fruity & floral aroma, with pine as a secondary note.

Actual: A mildly herbal & woody aroma with just a touch of citrus. The mouthfeel of this unique black ale is quite smooth, with a pleasantly soft bitterness & hop presence.

EXP Hop 2012-2: Type 556

Initial: Intense floral character with fruity undertones 

Actual: This hop-forward beer offers a floral hop aroma upfront that shifts to a blend of woody & herbal notes at the finish.

For more, check out our previous post. To see if any of the beers in this series are currently available, take a look at our Draft Cam.